AOD-9604 comes up often in conversation and rarely with the context attached. Here we lay out the basics in order, then work through the practical considerations.
Updated 2025-09-27. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
AOD-9604 is a synthetic peptide that corresponds to a short section of human growth hormone. It is commonly identified as hGH fragment 176-191 because its sequence matches residues at the C-terminal end of the hormone. The molecule contains sixteen amino acids and is made by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Researchers study it for metabolic effects rather than for the growth-promoting actions associated with full human growth hormone. Its small size distinguishes it from the complete 191-amino-acid hormone.
Several names appear in scientific and commercial settings. AOD9604 and AOD-9604 are development codes used interchangeably, while hGH fragment 176-191 describes the same region. The peptide includes a disulfide bond between two cysteine residues, which helps shape its three-dimensional structure. Different suppliers may provide acetate or other salt forms, and purity can vary. These differences matter because analytical tests and biological assays can respond to the specific form being studied.
Laboratory studies have reported that AOD9604 can increase lipolysis and reduce lipid accumulation in fat cells. The precise molecular target remains uncertain, and the compound does not appear to activate the growth hormone receptor in the same way as full-length hGH. Proposed mechanisms include effects on beta-adrenergic signaling and enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis, but these pathways are not firmly established. Because most evidence comes from cell and animal models, whether the same effects occur in humans is an open question.
Clinical development of AOD9604 included trials in people with obesity, but the results did not lead to approval as a prescription medicine in major markets. Interest later shifted to research settings and to unapproved products marketed for body composition. Regulatory agencies have questioned whether the peptide qualifies as a dietary ingredient, and some have issued warnings about its presence in supplements. Long-term human safety data are limited, and questions about efficacy, dosing, and target populations remain unresolved.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common name | AOD-9604 | Development code used in scientific literature. |
| Chemical class | Synthetic peptide | Fragment of human growth hormone. |
| Amino acid length | 16 residues | Matches hGH region 176-191. |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical lyophilized peptide solid. |
| Solubility | Soluble in water | Dissolves in aqueous media; exact behavior depends on salt form. |
== Background == Following his victory at the Battle of Pelagonia in 1259 AD against an anti-Nicaean coalition, Nicaean emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos was left free to pursue the reconquest of Constantinople, a primary goal of the Byzantine rump states in both Epirus and Asia Minor since 1204. By 1259 the remnants of the Latin Empire were reduced to the city of Constantinople and its immediate environs, cut off from both the remaining Latin states of Greece and from the Nicaeans' Greek rival, the Despotate of Epirus. As early as 1260, Michael Palaiologos attacked Constantinople, as one of the Latin knights taken prisoner in Pelagonia, whose house was within the city walls, had promised to open a gate for the emperor's troops. He failed to do so, and Palaiologos launched an unsuccessful assault on Galata instead. To strengthen his position, Michael concluded an alliance with Genoa in March 1261. In July 1261, as the one-year truce agreed upon after the failed Nicaean siege of 1260 was nearing its end, the general Alexios Strategopoulos was sent with a small advance force of 800 soldiers (most of them Cumans) to keep a watch on the Bulgarians and to reconnoiter the Latin defenses of the city.
The cones are less abundant than rods and come in three types, each contains its own type of iodopsin, the opsins of the cones. The cones mediate color vision, and vision in bright light (day vision).
=== Names === The natural product was named cyclosporin by the German-speaking scientists who first isolated it and cyclosporine when translated into English. Per International Nonproprietary Name (INN) guidelines for drugs, the y was replaced with i so that the INN for the medication is spelled ciclosporin. Ciclosporin is the INN and the British Approved Name (BAN), while cyclosporine is the United States Adopted Name (USAN) and cyclosporin is a former BAN.
Impetigo herpetiformis Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (cholestasis of pregnancy, jaundice of pregnancy, obstetric cholestasis, prurigo gravidarum) Linea nigra Pemphigoid gestationis (gestational pemphigoid, herpes gestationis) Prurigo gestationis (Besnier prurigo, early-onset prurigo of pregnancy, linear IgM dermatosis of pregnancy, papular dermatitis of pregnancy, prurigo of pregnancy, Spangler's papular dermatitis of pregnancy) Pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (late-onset prurigo of pregnancy, polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, PUPPP syndrome, toxemic rash of pregnancy, toxic erythema of pregnancy) Striae gravidarum
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
On the other hand, however, the generic masculine in German often allows for nuances that would not be possible in other languages, according to Kermani: “For example, when I send an email to my friends to invite them to my birthday party, I purposely do not address them as ‘male and female friends’ (‘Freundinnen und Freunde’).” As Kermani states, the use of the generic masculine is frequently understood as a provocation—that is, as the opposite of what it actually achieves: a renunciation of sexualization. At the same time, Kermani notes, for reasons of politeness and in public situations where the generic masculine might be perceived as an affront, hehimself will opt for a form of address that includes both male and female genders. If the presence of a masculine grammatical form came to indicate that it no longer ignored gender identity but, on the contrary, that it overemphasized gender identity, the generic masculine would be dead for good. - Navid Kermani: Mann, Frau, völlig egal [Man, Woman, It Doesn’t Matter at All]
=== Federal regulation === Laboratory testing in the United States is subject to federal regulation. Clinical laboratories performing testing are overseen by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) utilizing national standards established under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assist CMS in this process.
CPA is widely available throughout the world, and is marketed in almost every developed country, with the notable major exceptions of the United States and Japan. In almost all countries in which CPA is marketed, it is available both alone and in combination with an estrogen in birth control pills. CPA is marketed widely in combination with both ethinylestradiol and estradiol valerate. CPA-containing birth control pills are available in South Korea, but CPA as a standalone medication is not marketed in this country. In Japan and South Korea, the closely related antiandrogen and progestin chlormadinone acetate, as well as other medications, are used instead of CPA. Specific places in which CPA is marketed include the United Kingdom, elsewhere throughout Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Latin America, and Asia. CPA is not marketed in most of Africa and the Middle East. It has been said that the lack of availability of CPA in the United States explains why there are relatively few studies of it in the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions such as hyperandrogenism and hirsutism in women.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
AOD-9604 is a synthetic peptide fragment of human growth hormone. It corresponds to the C-terminal region known as hGH 176-191 and is studied for metabolic effects. It is not an approved therapeutic drug.
No. It contains only a small portion of the human growth hormone sequence. The full hormone has 191 amino acids and many additional actions that the fragment does not share.
The name refers to the amino acid positions in the human growth hormone chain. The fragment spans residues 176 through 191 at the C-terminal end. This naming convention helps distinguish it from full-length hGH.
AOD9604 is a synthetic peptide based on a C-terminal segment of human growth hormone. It is manufactured by chemical peptide synthesis rather than extracted from human tissue. The sequence is often described as hGH fragment 176–191 or a close variant.